The Color Green
by sholmesley
Summary: Lee/Gaara- Lee likes the color of Gaara's eyes, Gaara doesn't appreciate being stared at. The solution? A date of course! ... mmmm, fluff and OOCness...
1. Lee's Lookin' for Love!

The Color Green

Ahh spring! The way the flora bloomed and exploded in riotous color always made Lee smile in pure glee. Everything was simply more- intense! And oh, the green- he _loved_ the green of spring.

It really shouldn't have surprised him when he'd become enamored with Gaara's eyes. Honestly, it was so unfair that Gaara had such striking eyes when Lee _knew_ he'd never have half a chance at the taciturn ninja. So, in lieu of getting Gaara himself, Lee settled for doing everything within his "Springtime of Youth!" power to get Gaara to turn those gorgeous, beautiful, oh-so-_green_ eyes in his direction.

He'd been doing such odd and constantly non-threatening actions that Gaara had given up ignoring him and had taken to simply staring at him to get him to stop his weird exploits.

Lee was thrilled with this development. He couldn't stop smiling! But evidently his constant grinning left Gaara a bit… twitchy. After a while Gaara had an impressive 'personal bubble' due to his Sand snaking out and hissing at anyone who came too close. Which was about 20 feet, give or take- even his siblings weren't coming any closer to him.

Finally, after weeks of this, Gaara cornered him and asked the question that had obviously been plaguing him.

"Why do you keep _smiling_ at me like that?"

Lee stared at him, taking in his tense stance, the way his fingers flexed and clenched against his forearm and his narrowed coal-lined eyes. He wilted a bit, sinking against the wall behind him for support. _He doesn't look happy with me at all- and he is very good at telling when others are lying… I would have liked to experience my first kiss before I died though. Ah well._ He coughed a bit then straightened, holding Gaara's gaze with his own.

"Because I find you attractive and your eyes even more so. They are the green of spring and I like looking at them!"

The Sand, which had slowly winding around Gaara's feet, froze. So did Gaara, and for a moment everything fell silent.

"You find me attractive?" It was the first time Lee had ever heard Gaara sound close to timid.

Lee nodded quickly. Gaara blinked, his stance relaxing minutely.

"You… likelooking at my eyes?" This time his voice seemed very confused.

Lee gave a shaky grin and held out his arm in a thumbs up.

"Yosh! They are very delightful to look at!"

The Sand retreated to the gourd on Gaara's back and Lee relaxed a bit more, hoping the immediate danger was over. Gaara gave him an appraising look.

"Most find it unnerving when I stare at them like you insist upon. But you smile at me when I do. You are the only one who does so." He tapped his fingers against his sleeve, brows drawn together in thought. "I am unsure as to what is expected of me now. Kankuro explained to me once of courtship, but that was with the assumption the other would be female and so is unsuitable for our current situation." His piercing eyes pinned Lee against the wall. "Do you know what our next action should be for our courtship?"

It wasn't often Lee was shocked speechless. He stared at the other ninja, a half-baked plan forming. Inwardly Lee was dancing and screaming in joy and wonder. _Courtship! He said COURTSHIP! He wants to-_ and suddenly the 'half-baked plan' became a full Shinobi-style S-Ranked Mission.

He grinned, eyes glinting in the sunlight and moved into the Good Guy Pose.

"YOSH! We should go on a date!"

Gaara considered for a moment, then gave a slow, measured nod.

"Agreed. Tonight at seven. I will pick you up and we will decide where to go then." He abruptly turned around and walked away, presumably back to his quarters in the village.

Lee felt like singing.

He had a date!

With Gaara of the Desert!

Oh yes, Rock Lee loved spring.


	2. Gaara questions

3

The Color Green, part 2

_"YOSH! We should go on a date!"_

The words kept spinning around in Gaara's head- almost silencing the (literal) inner demon. He couldn't comprehend the other ninja's exuberance over the whole affair. After all, the last time he had invited an acceptable female for an evening excursion the female in question had simply fallen unconscious. Gaara still didn't particularly understand why, and Kankuro was being stubborn about explaining.

His eyes narrowed in frustration, and several citizens of Konoha stepped out of his way in alarm. He didn't give any of them more than a passing glance. They didn't matter… they had never mattered; and in fact finding that someone _did_ was a shock.

Rock Lee was _significant_. His thoughts on Gaara were _important_. It was unnerving, disquieting and impractical. He didn't like it; but the fluttering in his chest and his rapid breathing pattern spoke otherwise. Of course he knew _what_ feelings and emotions were, it was just that he'd never really experienced most of them- until today.

Today, listening to Lee speak, Gaara had felt nervous, he had experienced alarm, but most of all- he had felt _shy._ Gaara was NEVER shy, about anything!

Except, apparently, his eye color.

He shook his head, tossing his red locks about crazily. No, that wasn't it. Couldn't be it. He paused, head tilted and eyes focused on a spot on the ground. Could it?

Unbidden, Lee's words slipped into his mind's eye:_ "Because I find you attractive."_

He smirked in triumph. _Ha!_ Now it made sense: Gaara had experienced shyness because Rock Lee thought he was attractive. He found he didn't enjoy the emotion, but it was not debilitating ((Sorry Hinata!)) so he magnanimously decided to let the spandex-wearing ninja go unpunished for the transgression. At least now he knew what it was, and could counter its effects if it ever affected his person again. He closed his eyes and nodded serenely, his difficulty deciphered.

Continuing on his way he realized he wasn't quite sure what to actually _do_ on a date with another male. This confused him. He didn't like being confused. He began glaring at the sidewalk again. The empty space around him, which had always been large regardless of if he was in a populated area or not, grew larger. Apparently his alternate glaring and smirking were making others wary of him. This struck him as humorous. He held in his grin- that expression generally precipitated routs. He surmised his laughter would cause a similar happening so he held that in as well.

But the problem of his ignorance continued to bother him. He thought on who would be able to yield the information he needed. _Hmmm, I could ask Kankuro- but he sometimes withholds information when he is nervous about the subject. I wonder if this is one of them? It is so hard to tell with him sometimes. I wish he'd simply give me a list like I've asked. _

_Temari maybe? She did state that I should talk to her if I ever needed to. And she is female- maybe she has been on one of these "date" things. Ugh, this is frustrating. _

Blinking at the door to his and his siblings' quarters he ripped himself from his musings and stepped inside. Thankfully Temari was sitting at the small table and chair set the room provided. She looked up as he entered, blond ponytails jerking with her movement.

Closing the door firmly behind him he marched over to her, swiftly sat then stared fiercely into her eyes.

"Is the color of my eyes the 'green of spring'?" That question had been nagging at him from the back of his head ever since the green-clad ninja had uttered it.

She blinked, leaned back in surprise then set the scroll she had been reading down gently. Shaking her head and huffing, she leaned forward, reached for Gaara's face and held him still by his chin. She peered into his eyes for several moments, turning his face once to see how the light caught in his eyes.

"Yes." She raised an eyebrow and let him go. "Do I want to know why you would ask such a thing? It sounds like something the 'Green Beast' would say, and that scares me." She leaned back, folding her arms and held his gaze evenly, tilting her head as she did so.

"Lee said it. He also requested my presence for an evening excursion. I told him I would meet him at 7."

His sister stopped breathing for a moment, and her eyes went wide. "He _what?_ Gaara, that sounds like he asked you out for a date!"

He frowned. Usually she was much quicker than this. "I just said that."

Her left eye twitched. "And… you're going to meet him at 7?" Now her fingers were twitching slightly. It was very distracting.

"Yes. Why are you twitching? I do not sense any dangerous chakra nearby. Are you injured?"

She winced and took a deep breath, hunching over her arms a moment. Straightening she looked him calmly in the eye. "No, I am not injured, simply surprised. He asked you?"

He peered at her, looking closely for any injuries. "Yes. He asked me after I cornered him and interrogated him as to why he has been smiling at me and insisting on my attention. I said yes because I have never been on a 'date,' as it's called. Are you _certain_ you are not injured?" Standing he circled the table and checked her pulse. She was rather pale.

She batted his hand away and gave him a weak smile. "I'm fine, really. So, I assume you want to know what is expected of you for your date, eh?"

He nodded, and satisfied with her physical health sat down again.

She took another deep breath, then launched into an involved explanation of what was expected on a date. It was helpfully instructive.


	3. The Date

Gaara fidgeted, fingering the bare skin of his forearms. Temari had insisted he change apparel, but he still felt strangely naked without his jacket. He was wearing hastily bought clothes and they did fit him well, but… it was still strange. He took a deep breath, catching the scent of the cologne Temari had put on him and recited the line of attack his sister had outlined. Usually he didn't have any problems with strategy (when he bothered with it) but this was outside his area of expertise. This "date" was supposed to be pleasant. And she had seemed especially gleeful to know there was a festival currently going on in Konoha. Not that he knew what it was supposedly celebrating- it was beyond his bubble of "do I and/or should I care?"

He huffed in irritation, blowing wayward locks of hair from his eyes. She'd sat him down and messed with his hair too- not that he could really see a difference, but she assured him there was one. Even Kankuro had been impressed. At least that's what he assumed the odd look on Kankuro's face had been- it could have also been shock. He wasn't too sure.

Brushing such wayward thoughts from his mind (and mentally giving Shukaku the finger) he went over Temari's first rule:

_"Don't be late."_

Well, it was 6:30 now… and he realized that he had no idea where Lee actually lived. He cast around for familiar chakra and was surprisingly grateful to come across one of Lee's teammates. After a minute second of thought he strode purposely after them and caught up with the bewildered ninja quickly.

Neji blinked. "Can I… help you, Gaara-san?"

"I have an engagement with Rock Lee at 7 tonight, but I do not know where he lives. I require directions." Folding his arms and looking intently at the long-haired ninja Gaara waited for his response.

Neji twitched, took a step back then proceeded to stare at him for a moment, critically giving Gaara a once-over. "You're serious." He paused again, obviously wrestling with something, then sighed in seeming defeat. He pointed down the street.

"Proceed forward ten streets, take a left then an immediate right on the next street down. Continue on that street until the 18th building on your right, go up the stairs to the third floor; his apartment is number 983." He glared and folded his arms, fingers spasmodically twitching. "As much of a pain as he is, he is still my teammate. I will be cross if you hurt him."

Gaara nodded, absently thanked him (Temari said those were important when one was _requesting_ information) and went on his way. He could feel Neji's stare boring holes into his gourd, but couldn't find it in himself to care very much.

&&&&&&&&&&

"Oooooh! Where did I put those shoes? Tenten gave them to me not more than a month ago!" Lee stopped and gripped fistfuls of his freshly washed hair and stared frantically around his small apartment. "They can not have gone far! This is a small space, I could not have possibly _lost_ them."

Thinking back to when he'd been given the footwear he vainly tried to place where he'd situated them. They supposedly matched this outfit that Tenten had so thoughtfully picked out for him. He couldn't really remember why she'd done so, but was thankful for it none-the-less. _Hmm, I put the shirt and pants into the closet…_ He blinked in surprise and swung his body around to face the small wardrobe, pointing at it. "AH HA!"

Dropping to his knees he scuttled over and proceeded to throw out everything that was residing inside, moving farther and farther in. Eventually he came across the unopened shoebox which had taken cover under some of his extra legwarmers and grasped the box in triumph. "Success!"

He had just finished fitting the shoes on his feet when a sharp rap sounded at his door. He glanced at the round clock on the wall. _6:45, he's early!_ Grinning, he bounded over and opened the heavy steel slab that guarded his dwelling.

"Good evening Gaa-aa-a-" Stuttering and eyes widening, Lee took in the shorter red-head's appearance. Or rather was knocked upside the head with it. Gaara was _stunning_.

He was dressed in a black sleeveless shirt and charcoal pants with a grey belt and a red sash holding his gourd; the whole get up set off his unique complexion and astonishing red hair. The lack of bandages on his calves simply exhibited the (very snazzy in Lee's opinion) black-as-night sandals.

A small voice whimpered in the back of Lee's head: _want_. Mouth dry, all he could do was stare hungrily at the gorgeous creature that was gracing his front entry.

Lee wasn't the only one struck speechless… Not that Gaara talked much in the first place mind you, but still- it wasn't very often his mind stuttered to a stop. Lee was _attractive_.

In place of his usual get-up Lee was dressed simply in a pair of black cut-off pants, with a dark brown tank top and a long silk shirt in his signature green over it. The shoes were in a shocking bright rust red, which somehow brought the whole outfit together instead of drawing away from it.

Gaara felt shocked to his core and so didn't notice that it was an unusual occurrence for two shinobi to be standing in an entry-way staring at each other. For five minutes. Gaara was the first to break the silence.

"We are going to the festival." His dry tone snapped Lee out of his daze.

"Oh! YOSH! Yes, of course- just let me lock up and then I'll be ready Gaara-san."

"Gaara."

Lee's head snapped around to face him, making Gaara wonder if he'd given himself whiplash. "Huh?" _I know his name is Gaara- did I say something else?_

Gaara mentally repeated the lines Temari had drilled into his head earlier, overwhelming his protests of not understanding why it was important. Then he took a breath, and said it.

"Tonight we are not ninja of Konoha or Suna- we have no ranks. Tonight we are simply ourselves. So I am Gaara and you are Lee. Equals."

Even if he didn't understand it, because really- Gaara WAS of the Sand and Lee WAS the Green Beast of Konoha, Lee evidently did. And that, strangely enough, made it worth the confusion on his part. Lee's smile made it worth it.

"All right… Gaara." It looked like Lee was tasting his name, and appeared transfixed by an emotion Gaara couldn't name.

Maybe this night wouldn't be so bad.

&&&&&&&&&&&&

They headed out, walking beside each other quietly- Lee somehow losing his courage in the face of reality and Gaara… was being Gaara. Somehow the silence was comforting, rather than being full of skittish nervousness and awkward tongues.

That was, until Gaara remembered Temari's second rule.

"_Dates are for finding out about the other person, Gaara. Talking will be involved- and it will be in your best interest to actually answer questions, as well as ask your own. This is called small talk- you WILL actively participate in it." A heavy glare, full of meaning, bored into his forehead._

_Gaara mused for a second- and blinked in surprise as something evidently clicked inside his head._

"_Recovering data concerning the other person… it's like an interrogation. Only it goes both ways."_

"…"

_Temari gaped at him for a long moment. She finally coughed, then nodded, fingers massaging temples, head tilting down so she could stare at the table. "Yes Gaara, like an interrogation. Dates exist because __**some**__ people like knowing if they could stand spending the rest of their lives with the other person." _

_Her head shot up and she glared at him again. "So, this is rule number two: You will __**answer**__ questions and you will __**ask**__ questions and you will be INTERESTED in his answers."_

"…_Yes Temari."_

Temari's glares were scary sometimes, even to him.

Time to start this "small talk" she was talking about.

"Do you like agave juice?"

Lee's head jerked around to face him, hair making an odd swishing sound. "Eh? What is agave juice?"

"A type of cactus- we skin it, mash the pulp into bits and strain the liquid. The alcohol one can make from it is fairly popular."

Lee blinked. Stared at Gaara, then blinked again. He stopped walking and faced him. "I… have never had agave juice." Lee wondered if this was a clone Gaara or someone jutsued to look like him because he could _swear_ Gaara was trying to have a conversation with him. And that was too weird for words- even for him.

"I'll bring some next time then. It is one of my preferred drinks from Suna."

Lee wondered if someone had hit him in the head when he wasn't paying attention. With a building. It would certainly explain a lot.

Thankfully Lee's mouth was running on "polite" autopilot.

"Oh? Do you have any other favorite drinks?"

Much to Lee's surprise, Gaara actually answered.

"I like the juice of apples. Do you…," here he paused, frowning at nothing in particular.

Lee wondered if the jutsu was wearing off. He readied himself subtly.

Gaara turned to face him, still frowning. He sighed and unfolded one arm to rub at his temple. "Am I doing this right?"

Lee blinked. "Um. Yes?"

The russet-haired boy nodded, and even looked faintly relieved. He began walking again, angling toward a stall that was selling chicken on sticks.

Lee followed- mostly out of morbid curiosity. What had _that_ been about? But the food smelled good, and his stomach agreed that it was time to eat.

As they sat down Lee realized that he'd been so out of it that he'd not even noticed Gaara had ordered. Staring bemusedly down at the plate that had pushed itself into his hands he wondered- why hadn't he asked Gaara out before this?

Looking from the corner of his eye Lee gazed with wild abandon at the vision that was Gaara. He sighed happily while chewing contentedly on his chicken-on-a-stick.

Gaara looked his way at the sound. Pale green eyes gazed at the nin gnawing on what was left of the stick.

"I did not realize you were that hungry Lee. Should I get you more food?"

"Hmm?" Ah, his love was speaking. Lee adored the gravely texture of Gaara's voice. He could listen to it all day. He smiled, still savoring the warm glow centered in his chest.

Gaara's head tilted in confusion. "Lee? Did you hear me?"

Lee took what was left of the stick out of his mouth. "I'm fine."

He was doing that smiling thing again. It wasn't as troubling this time around.


End file.
